Containers often include a body and a neck finish extending axially from the body to accept a closure. The body usually includes a base, a sidewall extending axially away from the base, and a shoulder between the sidewall and the neck finish. The neck finish typically includes circumferentially extending threads to cooperate with corresponding features of the closure, and a circular end surface to cooperate with a seal on an undersurface of the closure. U.S. Pat. No. 2,244,316 illustrates a glass container and closure of this type.
A general object of the present disclosure is to provide a closure and container package that has a feature to release vacuum in the package, wherein part of the closure can be resealed to the container after use of the vacuum release feature, and wherein the package is readily suited for elevated temperature applications such as hot-fill and retort applications.
The present disclosure embodies a number of aspects that can be implemented separately from or in combination with each other.
A closure in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure includes an overcap having an annular skirt extending along a longitudinal axis for coupling the closure to a container, and an overcap web extending continuously radially inwardly from the annular skirt. The closure also includes a lid carried by the overcap radially within the annular skirt. The lid has an annular rim radially proximate to the annular skirt of the overcap, for sealing the closure to the container. The lid also has a lid web extending radially inwardly from the annular rim, and having at least, one vent therethrough, and being coupled to the overcap around the vent. A package may include a container having a neck finish with an annular axially facing sealing surface and a radially outward closure engagement surface, and the aforementioned closure coupled to the container such that the annular rim is in sealing engagement with the sealing surface of the container neck finish, and the annular skirt is coupled to the closure engagement surface of the container.
In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of manufacturing a package includes assembling a lid of a closure to an overcap of the closure, by applying the lid to a web of the overcap radially within an annular skirt of the overcap, so that the web of the overcap extends over and seals a vent in a web of the lid. The method also includes coupling the closure to a container, by applying an annular rim of the lid to an annular axial sealing surface of a neck finish of the container. A package may be produced by the aforementioned method, and a method of using the package may include peeling the overcap off the container and away from the lid so as to uncover the vent and relieve a vacuum condition in the package to facilitate removal of the lid from the container.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, a closure for vacuum packaging applications includes an overcap having a center panel and a peripheral skirt constructed for attachment to a container neck finish, and a lid having a radially outer annular rim and a vent. The closure also includes a seal ring around the vent and removably attaching the lid to an undersurface of the center panel such that the radially outer annular rim of the lid is disposed within the skirt for engagement with the container neck finish.